50 Technologies that Rocked the Decade

Flat-panel iMacsThe coolest form-factor in desktop computers, hands down. Not only did it save an incredible amount of desk space, but it also made buying and hooking up a computer a much simpler endeavor.

GoogleAt the beginning of the decade, Google was the best search engine around. Now, it's pretty much the Borg, with its techy tentacles reaching for your mail, calendars, voicemail, documents, contacts and chats. Hey, they take photos of your house for crying out loud! But they also bring us lots of useful services for free. This is sure to be a company that will last well into the next decade.

TwitterTwitter has completely revolutionized microblogging to the extreme. Gone are the day of 1,400 word blog posts, as the service has taught us there's nothing you can't say in 140 characters or less. This social platform has even caught on to celebrities, who insist on tweeting as often as they possibly can, without the filter of their PR rep.

Backlit keyboardsBecause only true nerds compute in the dark.

WikipediaThe birth of Wikipedia brought on an even greater resource for the Internet--the advent of the Wiki. Every wiki is customizable and available to any Internet user willing to lend a hand at citing and editing an article.

Online Banking and Bill PayThough some of our favorite banks aren't joining us in the new decade, the wonderful invention of online banking has made it easier for us to pay our bills on time and ensure our finances are square, all without the long lines and hassle of walking inside a bank.

Xbox LiveWith Xbox Live, PC gamers and LAN hoarders were no longer the only ones who could get online to play with their friends.

HDTVWhat’s not to love about a crystal-clear, 16:9 HDTV in your house? Gone are the days of squinting at tiny letterboxed movies on 4:3 screens. And what could be better than watching the Mythbusters blow stuff up in high definition?

DRM-free music storesDRM never stopped a music pirate from stealing the latest Britney Spears track. When Amazon MP3 and iTunes ditched DRM (for music at least) they did all of their paying customers a solid, making it easier to actually enjoy the music that we’ve paid for. Let’s hope the movie studios wise up eventually and let them do the same for video content.